A Delicate Primrose
by Silver-'-Doe290s
Summary: Katniss is now in the Hunger Games, and Prim must find a way to cope.But Gale has promised to take care of her, and he means to keep that promise... Rate T because it's the Hunger Games, after all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

**No. I am not Suzanne Collins. I wish I was, though.**

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

"Come on, Prim. We need to get back home." The peacekeepers had escorted us from the justice building where I had said my last goodbye to Katniss. Now Mother was urging me softly to come on. There was an edge of pain to her voice. Of course there was. Katniss was on her way to what was almost certain death.

_She promised me she'd win._

But could Katniss keep that promise, with twenty-three other tributes wanting to kill her?

"Prim." This time it wasn't my mother's voice calling out. Somewhere in the crowd, Gale had appeared and was striding towards us.

"I told Katniss I would take care of you and I _will_." His voice held such fierceness I didn't dare argue. Instead I let him lead me back, towards…. _the fence? _Why was he taking me here?

"Look, I'm going to have to go working in the mines soon, you understand, Primrose? I'll still do my best to take care of you and your mother, but you'll have to learn to hunt yourself. I'll accompany you to the Hob, at first." Wait. Hunt? Katniss had tried to teach me how to hunt once. I was terrible at it, and she had given me up for a lost cause.

_Katniss. You __**have **__to win this. You __**HAVE to!**_

"Okay." I could feel tears coming up, and I pushed them back down.

"I'll take her from here, if you don't mind, Mrs. Everdeen." Gale bent down and took my hand. "Look. There's a gap in the fence there. I'll go through first. Remember, if you hear the buzz of electricity, it's best not to touch it. Going down flat on his belly, Gale got through to the other side. I followed. Fear was welling up inside of me. _There's a reason we're told not to go out here. This is dangerous. And the penalty for poaching is death. _If Gale could sense the fear in me, he ignored it.

"It's too early to teach you to use a bow yet, so I'll show you a basic trap." He pulled out a roll of wire. Just then, a howl echoed across the woods. My stomach twisted into a knot.

"Get _up_, Prim, for God's sake! Surely you know how to climb. _God, _I don't know how Katniss managed to keep you alive for so long." He was now on a branch, his arm dangling down. The wild dogs were getting closer. I couldn't help it any more. A sob broke out of my chest as I grabbed his hand. Once I was safely up, he pulled me into a tight hug, letting me cry freely.

"I'm sorry, Prim. I won't make you hunt. I promise. My vow to Katniss is more important than my obligation to get a job as a coal miner. She'll come back, Prim. Don't you worry. If I know that girl, she won't let any Games stand between her and you." My entire body was shaking, and I knew I believed him, at least right then. Katniss would come back. She had to.

"So. No more hunting?"

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

Prim was shaking violently. I knew how she felt. She was lucky, though. She was twelve and she was allowed to cry. I had to be strong. For her. For Katniss. And while all my life I had been the strong one, now it was not so easy.

"No more hunting. C'mon, the pack's gone. We can go back now. " Guilt washed over me. I shouldn't have been so harsh with her. But…. I felt so angry. Angry at the Capitol, for taking Katniss away. Angry at myself, for letting them, even though there was nothing I could have done to stop them. Angry at Katniss, for volunteering, because awful as it may sound I would rather have watched Prim die than her. And finally, while hating myself for it, I was angry at Prim because it had been her Katniss had volunteered for. All that rage was misdirected, of course. It was only the Capitol I truly had cause to be angry at.

"We're going home now. Come on , Prim." Prim's tears had subsided somewhat and she weakly followed my lead. I immediately felt bad for making her cry. Somehow, I would make it up to her. I would keep my promise to Katniss. I would take care of her.

On the road, I met Peeta's dad. He gave her a fresh roll, saying that he too had promised to protect her. That would help me keep her safe, too.

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><p><strong>Please review. Please. Pretty Please. It's not <em>that <em>bad, is it?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I just completely forgot about this site for a time.**

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

Breakfast. Lunch - Gale brought us fresh meat every day, no matter what the weather or the circumstances, and I milked Lady whenever she produced any milk. Dinner. Sleep. This was our daily routine. No time to think about the games. About Katniss.

We waited for the tribute parade. The first time we would get to see the tributes. I wondered whether at that point the reality of the situation would begin to sink in.

When the day finally came, Gale came to visit us. We sat together on the couch and turned on the television. There were a few minutes of sickening Capitol propaganda and then it began. I cuddled up to Gale and he held me tightly. There were other tributes there, brutish Careers and undernourished twelve-year-olds, but I kept my eyes locked on Katniss's. My sister.

The first thing I saw was the fire. I told myself it was impossible - they wouldn't kill a tribute before the Games began. But that didn't change the fact that she was there on the chariot and she was _burning_ before my eyes.

Then I saw her face and I saw that, somehow, the fire had not touched her. Some weird Capitol technology I'm sure. She clasped her hand with the boy tribute's - Peeta Mellark, yes, that was his name - and held it up. The cheers were deafening. _Cheers mean sponsors, and sponsors mean a better chance_. I willed her to remember her promise to me, her promise that she would do everything in her power to win, even though I knew there was no way she would forget it.

_This is going better than I could have imagined._

Then I looked up at Gale, and his expression was unreadable.

**Gale's POV**

Katniss, my Katniss shone like a beacon. Sponsored would be lining up around the corner. It was sick, but I had no choice but to be grateful. _What if, for one year, everyone just stopped watching?_ But I new now why that didn't. That seed of hope that maybe, just maybe, their loved ones would return to them kept their eyes glued to the screen.

She held Peeta's hand, her fingers clenched tight around his, holding on. Peeta, who she barely even _knew_. _KATNISS. Katniss, I'm here, in District 12. Whatever you do, remember me. I don't care how the Capitol tries to change you, but remember me, remember us, and remember their injustices. Don't let them blind you to that, Katniss. Don't you dare._

**Prim's POV**

I followed Gale's gaze and I saw the jealous looks the other tributes shot at Katniss. A shiver of dread passed through me. That Cato, who was staring at her with pure loathing, looked like he could smash her head in in half a second. _Win, Katniss. You have to win._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Please drop by a review if you read this. It will only take a few seconds of your day, and I would really appreciate it.  
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><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

I got up early in the morning to hunt. Quickly I pulled on my clothes and boots, then ducked out. It was bright and sunny outside, just the sort of day animals would be likely to go to the pool for a drink. That brought a smile to my face. Maybe I could take down a deer today with Katniss's help.

Then I remembered. Katniss. She was in the Games. She might not come back to me. _Katniss_. That brought a pang of sadness. I fingered my bow. I could hunt alone, of course, but it was so much easier with a partner to guard my back. And companionship made the whole thing seem less like another dreary routine.

The Capitol had stolen her from me, just as they had stolen our happiness and our freedom. That was all they knew how to do. Steal, take and destroy. Katniss had provided me with an opportunity to vent my frustration but now…

Angrily and with more force than was really needed, I released the string. My arrow went shooting up into the air and caught a wild goose straight in the chest. I could have tried to get it through it's eye, but my aim wasn't like Katniss's and I didn't want to risk a miss.

A couple of hours later, with a fat goose swung over my shoulders and other goods I had bought from the hob stuffed inside my bag, I made my way over to the Everdeen's.

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

Gale had lunch with us. The roast goose was delicious, but there didn't seem to be enough of it. I understood, of course. Gale still had to feed his family, and could afford to share any more of his kill with us than he had. Yet my stomach still grumbled in dissatisfaction when I was finished.

I gobbled up everything on my plate before speaking. Meals were usually like this; silence until everyone had finished eating and was no longer focused solely on whatever rested on their plates. Of course, we usually ate more because Katniss only had to provide for us, and she and Gale both caught more when they were together.

However, this time the silence pertained even after we had all finished. No-one had anything to say.

I knew they all felt the emptiness as potently as I did.

I couldn't keep it all locked up anymore. I remembered all the times _Katniss_ had brought us dinner, _Katniss_ had sat across the table…

"I miss her, Gale. I miss her so much." I would not cry. Well, okay. Maybe just one tear. Maybe just… just…

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

"I miss her, Gale. I miss her so much." I can intended to tell her that I understood, but instead I found myself walking over around the table and pulling her into an embrace.

"I do too." There could not be tears on my cheeks as well. There could not. The poor girl was sobbing, and I could not comfort her if I cried to. I brushed them away angrily.

"I do too. And I hate them. I hate them from taking her away from us. I want, no, I _need_ to do something, anything, to show them."

I was shocked at my own outburst. I expected Prim to draw away, Peacekeepers to storm in and arrest us… but Prim looked up at me with all the openness of the world on her little face.

"So… so do I. I.. I… I can't… I can't stand i-it any more. It's my fault. She… she did it for me. But if not for them, she would never have had reason to volunteer in the first place. _I hate them._" Mrs. Everdeen was looking at us both with a stormy expression on her face.

"Gale Hawthorne. I appreciate your help, Gale, I really do, but if you get my daughter arrested I will kill you. That's a promise." The woman had stood up and loomed over them. I couldn't help taking her threat seriously.

Then Prim spoke up again.

"Gale… can… can you take my to the woods again? Please." Considering our first disastrous trip there I was surprised by her request, yet I understood it. So all I said was.

"Margaret, by your leave?" Prim's mother nodded silently, but added sternly, "I wasn't bluffing, you know. If you get her hurt, I _will_ kill you."

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

The forest was still terrifying, yet it was beautiful at the same time. We stopped by a small pool an I immediately spied a squirrel. I pointed it out to Gale, but he only expressed a desire to have his bow and arrow. I couldn't imagine shooting down a poor innocent little creature like that.

"If we could do something… maybe we can, Gale. Something they won't take out on her in the arena. Something… anything…

"Anything. If we can, Prim we will… I will, but I am not getting you involved in this. You are somehow still innocent, Prim, and probably couldn't imagine what the Capitol would do if they caught you in an act of rebellion, but I can. I'll try to think of something, though, I promise."

Prim smiled up at me through her tears and I couldn't help it. I smiled back.

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><p><strong>I'd like to get at least one review before updating.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the review, anon. I've decided to write the next chapter but whether I continue it after that depends on how many reviews I get.**

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<br>**

****_I can't do it. If I rebel they'll kill her.  
><em>

I had a plan. The perfect plan. But what would rebellion in District 12 mean for 12's tributes? I could not guarantee Katniss a slow and painful death. I just... couldn't. _I'll wait until she dies or she wins. After that, with her life no longer hanging in the balance, I can do whatever I want, because I don't care if I die._ It occured to me that perhaps they had rigged the reaping so that they'd have a hold over Katniss, just like they now had a hold over me; it would be just like them and it was unlikely that that one slip in thousands had just happened to be picked. Possible, I supposed, but...

I could think on rebellion later. I first needed to help Katniss win. We were too poor to be able to afford a district gift alone, but if all the district gathered the little they could spare it could be the difference between Katniss's life and death. Of course, there was no way to be sure it wouldn't be sent to Peeta instead; Haymitch could do whatever he wanted to with the money he got from sponsers. But he'd want to help the tribute with mote chances to win, and that was my Katniss. _This is sick. I couldn't understand how they kept the Games going, how they convinced people to send money to help them with their entertainment, but now I do. They give us a little hope and make us hang on for dear life. And the thing is, it works. It works on _me_._ I hated them. Oh God, I hated them...

"Gale? Are... are you okay? Wait... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that: of course you're not okay. But... you said you'd think of something." I caught her casting a wary glance around the room, searching for cameras. Her face was streaked with tears - she'd cried some more that night, I knew. I had to keep it together, for her sake. But the truth was I wanted to burst into tears myself.  
>I pulled her close into a hug and let my lips brush past her ear.<p>

"I did. Think of something that is. But I can't go through with it. Don't you see? If we try anything, they'll kill her." I expected her to burst into a fresh wave of tears. But instead her face filled with determination.

"They'll kill her anyways. Gale, I can't just sit here and... and... and take it! Next year maybe they'll pick you. Or Rory... have you thought of them picking your little brother? Or Madge."

"They wouldn't pick Madge. She's the Mayor's daughter."

"They might. They're ruthless and they're vile and they don't _care_.

"Hush, Prim! I said I'd protect you, and I can't let you go around saying things like that in anyone's hearing. I feel the same, Prim, but... tell me, if I told you the plan, would you go through with? Knowing your sister's life was on the line?" 

"I... no." Her voice broke. She bit her lower lip and I could tell she was holding back tears. "But if they kill her..."

"I know," I whispered, "I know."

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

****I cried in Gale's arms until I could cry no more, and when I reached that point I felt as if a weight had been lifted off me. Then I saw the people milling out onto the streets and I felt like crying all over again. I remembered what day it was.

Today they would show the interviews. In another three days, the Games would begin.

In another three days, my sister could be dead.

We walked out and followed the flow. I caught sight of my mother and ran over to her. She stared up stony-faced at the television screen. Trying to be strong. For Katniss, I knew. Gale said nothing, just waited. Waited for the television to turn on and the Capitol seal to show up on it. Then came the District 1 girl. She was silly and flouncy and I couldn't believe she could giggle like that before the Games. A Career, I supposed, used to overlooking the horror of this.

The boy didn't giggle, but otherwise seemed equally silly and frivulous. I felt sorry for both of them. Three days from now, they would understand what they had volunteered for. Three days from now they would discover that they were just as much the Captiol's hounds as the rest of us.

The girl from two was deadly, lethal. I could imagine her twisting a knife into Katniss's back and I shivered violently. I felt pity for her too, though. It wasn't her fault she had been raised like this. The boy from two was pure muscle, but not much else. I knew Katniss could outsmart him if she tried. And she would. She had promised me.

_This is what they make us do. Hope other teenagers will die so those we care about can live._

The girl from five was sly and sneaky. I felt she was perhaps more of a threat to Katniss than the boy from two, even.

The girl from eight was unremarkable. She would be one of the first to go down, probably. _She's done nothing to deserve this. None of them have._ I wanted Katniss to win, but I didn't want any of them to die either. Another tear. I had to stop crying. Katniss wouldn't cry. She'd grit her teeth and swear to overthrow the Capitol. I wished I was as strong as her.

The boy from eleven was a killing machine as well, but more deadly than the one from two.

And the girl from eleven...

She was my age and looked so small, so... breakable... I could not imagine anyone just sitting there and watching her die. _I_ couldn't. She couldn't be older than twelve. God, I hated them. She was my age, and she should not be in this. None of them should.

Then came Katniss, and I didn't care what came out of her mouth as long as the crowd was cheering for her. _She'll have sponsors. They love her._

_"What did your sister say when you volunteered for her?"_

_No. I don't think I can bear listening to this.  
><em>

_"She asked me to try really, really hard to win for her."  
><em>

_KATNISS!  
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_"And what did you say?"  
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_"I told her I would."  
><em>

I was broken. I could not stay there anothe minute, could not breathe, could not... someone called my name... no... I was shattered.

"Katniss," I whispered, "Katniss."

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><p><strong>Review? Please? Please please please please please? Come on, I know you can. Just press the button, you know you want to...<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Right, guys, seriously, if you read this please do review, even if it's only to tell me that it's terrible. Just tell me what you think of it, okay? Not that hard. **ReadrOfBooks, Blue Dot77, fishfreak222, WildRose9999, anon and hgrocks - huge thanks for reviewing this. You're the only ones who actually took the time out of their day and I really am thankful.**  
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><p><strong>Prim's POV<br>**

I felt empty as we moved along the streets, like someone had struck me hard in the chest with a hammer. Colours. Noises. Odors. Coal dust everywhere. I took none of it in. Gale was holding me, but it felt wrong because his arms should have been Katniss's. Everything was wrong. When we got to our house there was no freshly cooked rabbit on the table. My shirt was sticking out, but no-one called me little duck. Gale set about cooking himself and for a moment I hated him for trying to take her place and act like nothing had happened. My mother said nothing. She just sat there. I remembered that reaction after our father died and for a moment I was terrified I would lose her, and then I really would be alone again.

"_She's not dead yet,_" I said in a harsh whisper as if I was trying to make myself believe it. I probably was. I wouldn't just stand around snivelling and crying anymore. "Gale, don't cook the fish. Cook the onions with our tessaera. I'm selling the fish at the hob." I was surprised at how strong my voice sounded. "We'll only eat the bare minimum neccesary; we sell all the rest. Then, we use it to sponsor Katniss." Gale nodded but mother caught my hand.

"Gale can go to the Hob; he knows the people there, they're more likely to give him a fair bargain. And if you get caught going there..."

"Mum, Katniss went there every day. She never got in trouble. Gale can come, but I'm going too. I'm sick of just standing around here doing nothing and hoping Katniss will make it through."

"If Katniss never got into trouble, why is she going to the Games?"

"Because... because she volunteered for me. Mum, you _know_ that! She volunteered to save me and now I _have_ to do _something_!" I began to walk towards the door but was stopped dead in my tracks by my mother's next words.

"And how was it, Prim, that that one slip in thousands that was yours just happened to get picked? The only greater punishment for Katniss than to be sent to the games would be for _you_ to be sent into the Games. You would have had no chance. The youngest victor in the history of the Games was two years older than you, Prim."

"I don't care. I'm going to raise money for Katniss and she'd _going_ to come home."

"Prim, I won't lose you..." I heard the words as I slammed the door shut behind me but I payed them no mind.

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

I followed Prim outside. I had promised Katniss to take care of her but I couldn't tell her to go back home because I understood her burning need to do something. We walked to the hob in silence. I could feel Prim stewing beside me. She was angry. Angry at the Capitol, angry at Mrs. Everdeen... I put an arma round her and she shook it off. As soon as we arrived as the hob she got straight to business. She didn't know much about the place, though, so I had to give her directions. I knew the Peacekeepers would buy our meat but neither of us wanted anything to do with them and I knew that Prim would probably explode at them so I didn't suggest them. We sold the fish to Greasy Sae at a pretty good price - Prim was a tough barterer and Greasy Sae was quite fond of her. I turned to bring her back home, but she stopped me.

"No. I want to go to the woods again." _Where no-one can hear us,_ I knew she meant, so I agreed.

"The woods it is then." I led her to the fence and she eyed it with a wary expression. I knew why - the Peacekeepers and the television fed us up with Capitol propaganda about the dangers it protected is from and there really were some dangers but if you knew how to watch out for them it became first and foremost a source of food. And a place where you could rant without too great a fear of being overheard. I lead her deep enough to be able to talk freely.

"I hate them. I hate them. I HATE THEM." I wrapped my arms tightly around her but she resisted.

"I'm not going to cry," she said, more to herself than to me. When tears built up in her eyes she shook them away angrily.

"Gale... teach me how to hunt. We'll be able to raise more money if there's two of us doing it."

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><p><strong>Sorry for the short chapter, I was kind of running out of inspiration.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you all liked it but if you have some constructive criticism to offer feel free, I know I need to improve.**

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<br>**

It became immediately clear that Prim could not hunt. Even once she had gotten over her fears - mostly gotten over them, anyways - she would tear up every time it was even suggested that she kill an animal. Even after I reminded her that it was for Katniss, she continued to falter just for long enough for the animal to get away. It didn't take long for us to give up hunting as a lost cause.

Gathering, however, went much better. Prim was a natural when it came to recognising edible plants and was even able to lay out a snare or two once she got over the fact that she'd be killing animals with it. We probably wouldn't be able to raise enough money to get anything useful for Katniss on our own - the price for sponsor gifts started out high and continued to rocket up for the whole period of the Games - but we convinced others to contribute too and when we pooled our money together it was a pretty substantial amount.

It wouldn't be enough to buy her any high-tech medicine or weapons, but a bottle of water or some matches could make all the difference for her.

I had never seen Prim being this determined before. She really did eat the very bare minimum neccesary for her to survive, and it showed. Everything else went towards Katniss.

I stepped into the clearing, our meeting place, and drew in a sharp breath. Prim wasn't there.

My mind instantly began to race, thinking of all the things that could have happened to her. I had promised Katniss I would take care of her, and dammit, I was going to _keep_ that promise!

Presently Prim came racing in, flushed, her arms bulging with plants and herbs.

"I'm... here..."

"You're late. Prim, you've been a huge help, really, but from now on I'm doing this on my own."

"Why? Because I was a few seconds late?"

"No, because I promised Katniss I would take care of you and taking care of you does not involve me letting you put your life in danger like this! There are hundreds of things out there that could kill someone who isn't experienced enough, and you could be executed for this if you got caught!"

"The Peacekeepers don't care, Gale."

"But if they suddenly decided they did! If - when - Katniss comes back, do you want her to find out I let you die?"

"You're not the boss of me, Gale!" I sighed. Prim was being impossible! How was I supposed to take care of her if she was going to meander around the woods alone? But I could see that this had given her a purpose. It had kept her going. Could I take that away from her? But Prim was everything to Katniss. If she died...

"I'm the one who teaches you how to survive out here. We had a pact, Prim. When we're in the woods you do what I say with no hesitation and no arguements. And what I say is that you're not coming with me anymore!"

"If Katniss dies in the arena, your promise to her is worthless."

"Don't... Prim..."

"I won't stop this, you understand?"

"I understand, Prim." All the tension went out of her.

"Good."

"But today's session is over. We need to get home." I took a deep breath. "They're broadcasting the first day of the Games today. If Katniss dies in the bloodbath it won't matter how much money we raise."

"Okay," she whispered, and I could tell that the reminder of the reality of the Games had upset her. Katniss could have died this morning.

"Prim, I'm sorry I yelled at you like that and I'm sorry I tried to stop you from hunting. I understand how you feel. I promise from now on I won't try to stop you from doing something you want to do, but promise me you'll think things over before doing anything that might put your life in danger."

"I promise."

"And promise that if I make an objection you'll rethink things, even if in the end you don't change your mind."

"I promise. Gale... will you... come over to our house to... watch it?"

This time it was my turn to whisper, "okay," because I didn't know if I could bear watching this on my own.

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><p><strong>Prim's POV<strong>

I walked home trying to keep myself from imagining all the horrible deaths Katniss could have suffered. _Please let her be all right, please let her be all right, please let her be all right, please, please, please, please... _ I hadn't realised I was chanting until Gale lay a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "she will be. I know her. She can win this thing, Prim, I know it." He sounded so certain I let myself be comforted by him, but a part of my mind continued to chant _please, please, please, please, please_ desperately, and I felt I couldn't bear the anticipation much longer.

Finally it was time. The camera first panned out on the Cornucopia, let us take in all the items sprinkled around it. Tents. Matches. Food. Drink. And... I let my eyes linger on it... a bow and arrow.

"They're going to tempt her with it. They want her to go in for it and then the Careers will kill her!" It was stupid. Why would the Gamemakers want Katniss in particular dead? Was it something she did or said? But Gale was grinning.

"If she gets that, she'll win this thing for sure."

_10... 9..._

"Katniss, Katniss please!"

_5... 4... 3..._

"You promised you'd try your best to win, Katniss! You have to!"

_2... 1..._

_This is really happening.  
><em>

_GO!  
><em>

Katniss sprinted. Not towards the Cornucopia, but towards the forest. I allowed myself a sigh of relief... that turned into a scream as I watched a knife wizz towards her. It belonged to the deadly girl from two. It buried itself in a rucksack. I cried hot tears of relief and I could feel Gale holding me. She would be okay.

There were some more death but the boy - Peeta - was not one of them and surprisingly neither was the girl from eleven. I cried some more because none of them deserved to die, but they had to for Katniss to come out. The girl from eight begged for mercy and they left her just barely alive until they realised there had been no cannon and a boy went back to finsh her of. Peeta, I realised. Wait, what was Peeta doing with the Careers? I didn't care, to be honest. Katniss was alive. That was all that mattered.

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><p><strong>Mrs. Evereen's POV<strong>

As I watched the screen, I realised Katniss was still alive. Perhaps I had been wrong to give up. Perhaps Prim had been right. I remembered all the arguements I had had with her about her risking her life for a lost cause, and suddenly I wished I hadn't said that. There was still a chance, no matter how small, and it was all we had.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm really sorry for the long wait, I had no internet connection over the holidays and so couldn't update. I should have the chapters coming out more quickly now that I've had time to plan ahead a bit more.**

**Again, thank you for the reviews I really, really appreciate them. Keep them coming, please.  
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><p><strong><strong>Prim's POV<strong>**

Nothing much had happened in the Games that day. Katniss was fine. She was made for wandering around in the woods like that. Surviving. And she didn't break her promises. At least, that was how I tried to ease my anxienty. I was less than succesful.

Gale was every bit as worried as I was. I knew that. I knew it from the tight, tense way he talked. I knew it from the way he never stopped frowning. It fed my own concern, but I didn't tell him that. I didn't need to make him feel any worse. And anyways, I couldn't have stood it if he tried to falsely reassure me.

We had pooled together our sponsor money and given it to some Capitol representatives. They would pass it on to Haymitch, who was in the Capitol mentoring Katniss.

And Peeta. Right.

Presently, Gale and I were discussing what Haymitch should send her. We had both tried talking about other, more comforting things, but both our thoughts kept drifting back to her.

"A bow." Gale looked up. The last subject change had been him trying to teach me more edible plants to pick and sell.

"What?"

"A bow. He should get her a bow. It's the only thing she could win with."

"He can't afford it. Weapons are ridiculously expensive. They mix up the odds too much. He should get her wire, to set up snares."

"Wire. Mmm, yes. Or maybe water."

"Water? She can find that in the arena."

"Yes, but the Gamemakers will make that difficult. Water is essential. No-one can survive without it. Therefore, they'll want to use the Tribute's need for it to... mix things up a bit." _Kill more people._ I watched Gale's face twist in disgust. I wished he could control those emotions better. If the Peacekeepers caught him expressing them, it would be taken out on Katniss.

Not to mention what they would do to him.

"That's... a good point."

"I suppose... as long as Haymitch sees it like that... otherwise, it doesn't really help."

"But if he gives her water, it'll run out eventually."

"Hopefully the Games will have finished by then."

"And she'll be the winner."

"And she'll be the winner."

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><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

_"And she'll be the winner."_ The hope in Prim's voice as she said that nearly made my take a step back. _This is how they do it. This is how they keep us in line. They give us hope, enough to stop us acting with the desperation of someone who knows their cause is lost, but not enough to make us think we can win against them._ He knew the trap, and yet he couldn't manage to fight his way out of it. After Katniss either won or died, they had said, but he couldn't bear the wait. He wanted to act _now_. He forced himself to stop thinking about that. It had chaffed him constantly for the last few days, but going over it wouldn't help anything. He would just have to learn patience.

If only Katniss had run away with him. No. What about Prim? But he still wished... if they had...

If onlys accomplished nothing. They were best shut out.

He could feel Prim's eyes on him.

"And she'll be the winner," he replied, like a small prayer. Not that he prayed. If God had existed he would have smited the Capitol years ago. What was the use in praying to someone who wasn't real?

He got up apbruptly, muttering "woods." Prim raised a quesionting eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. He got up, walked out the door and onto the street. A pair of Peacekeepers were patroling. He tried to ignore them. Best not to do something really stupid that would get both him and Katniss into trouble. And Prim, probably. The Capitol liked nothing as much as it liked disproportion responses.

"Gale Hawthorne. State your business."_ It's my business. Not yours. _He didn't recognise them. New peacekeepers were bad news.

"I was on my way home from a friend's."

"I see. Primrose Everdeen, perhaps?"

"That would be her, yes."

"You were talking to her, I suppose."

"I was." How could they just come up to me and poke into every moment of my life?

"Nothing treasonous, I hope?"

"O-of course not."

"Indeed." He took a small device out of his coat pocket and pressed _Play._ My voice rang out, clear as day. I froze.

_"I do too. And I hate them. I hate them from taking her away from us. I want, no, I need to do something, anything, to show them."_

_"So… so do I. I.. I… I can't… I can't stand i-it any more. It's my fault. She… she did it for me. But if not for them, she would never have had reason to volunteer in the first place. _I hate them._"_

They stopped it. That was all they needed. Damning evidence.

It had been recorded for a long time, I was sure of it, but none of the previous Peacekeepers had wanted to do anything about it.

"There's more." More? Why would they possibly need more? But they proceeded to play out all the conversations I had had with Prim after that one. All the anti-Capitol statements we had made. All the things we had thought we had said in privacy.

Even our conversation from the forest. How had they recorded _that_?

"Come with me. I will escort you to the Justice Building." I said nothing. Anything I could have said would just have been digging myself in deeper.

"Officer. Apprehend Primrose." I had failed her. I had failed Katniss. How could I have been so stupid? So utterly _idiotic_?

I had no idea.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the plot actually starts moving. Yes, my dear readers, <em>plot. <em>Believe it or not, such a thing really does exist in this fanfic of mine.**


	8. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ**

**I am really very, very busy right now which means this story is temporarily on hiatus. Don't worry, I ****_will_**** continue it. I just need some time to settle in to my new schedule and make space for my virtual life in it again. I am really, really sorry about this to anyone following my story and I PROMISE I will get back to writing it as soon as I possibly can. Again, I am really sorry about this.**

**Also, a huge thanks to Pieflavouredpie for actually reviewing every chapter that came out after she started reading this. I need more readers who are as faithful as she is.**

**Also, to compensate for putting this on hiatus you now get a taster for the next chapter even though this was just supposed to be an author's note. Enjoy.**

**P.S. To any of my followers who are actually still reading this, I would really really appreciate it if you kept reviewing when a new chapter comes out.**

* * *

><p><strong>Gale's POV<strong>

Sitting in the Justice Building. Waiting. Wondering what will happen to Katniss. To me. To Prim.

Prim sat besides me, fidgeting. Neither of us said anything. Prim looked like she was just barely keeping together. I would have comforted her somehow, but my thoughts were reeling.

Katniss. If she had ever had a chance - she _had_, I knew she had - it was gone now. They would kill her. There was no _way_ they would let her win after this. Unless... unless... unless I could somehow convince the peacekeepers not to send word to the Capitol. _Somehow_. It seemed impossible, though. _Katniss, forgive me. Forgive me. _How had this happened? How had I _let _it happen? I couldn't let them kill her - and I couldn't let them kill Prim either. I had made a promise after all. Somehow. Somehow. Somehow. It was my mess and it was up to me to fix it. _Hold on, Katniss. I CAN set this right, and I WILL._ How, though?

The other Peacekeepers had turned a blind eye until now but if forced to take action they would.


End file.
